Customer Reviews

X: The Complete Series

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Story:
15 year old Kamui returns to Tokyo after being gone for 6 years. His childhood friends Fuma and Kotori are very excited at his return, but are hurt and confused by his change in character. Rather than the kind and cheerful boy that they knew, Kamui is cold and quite. But Kamui has a reason to be moody - the day of reckoning is near and the Dragons of Earth and the Dragons of Heaven will battle to decided the fate of humanity, and Kamui must pick a side to join.

This series is, in my opinion, CLAMP's greatest masterpiece. X was the first CLAMP series I was introduced to, and has remained my favorite. To explain why this series is great, I have outlined the pros and cons below.

PROS:
~Artwork - As with all CLAMP's work, the artwork and character designs are detailed and beautiful. Some of the characters look very similar to other CLAMP characters, but some are completely unique to X. Some of the imagery is very impressive, and with a wide range of characters (the Dragons alone add up to 14) and a wide range of situations leads to a wide range of different types of scenes that show CLAMP's creativity and imagination.
~Music - The music for this show is some of the best I've heard in any screen production. The main theme, Destiny, is very memorable and beautiful. I bought the soundtrack and Destiny is one of my top played songs, despite being instrumental.
~Story and Characters - X boasts a complicated story with complex characters. The cast of characters is large and many of them have their own story to contribute. The interactions between the Dragons of Earth and the Dragons of Heaven are quite realistic - even the people wishing for the destruction of humanity are only human themselves and this especially evident when they encounter someone from the opposite side.

CONS:
~This isn't a very cheerful series - it is about the end of humanity after all. I don't want to spoil anything, so won't go into detail about any tragedies that occur. I thought that tragedy was essential to the story, but it was still sad and might make you cry (I think I did).
~I like having a lot of characters, but it did get a little confusing at times!
~Even at 24 episodes, this series wasn't quite long enough to fit all of the story into it. The manga is 18 volumes long, and still hasn't ended. I think that the anime creators did a good job of picking which things were cut, but it still felt a little rushed in some places.

Obviously, the pros far outweigh the cons and you should totally watch this series! This set is pretty cheap at $30, which is about half the price I originally paid for the series, so you are getting quite a bargain!
One final note: I watched this series in Japanese and the cast all did an excellent job. I haven't see it in English, so I can't say if it is any good or not. But I really liked the Japanese dub, so I would recommend it.

I watch a lot of anime, but this one has stood the test of time for me, it is still my favorite even after several years. I don't know why so few people watch this one, maybe because the original company that marketed it went under, but it is really a gem......this anime draws you in, the story is well written, the characters are awesome, it really tugs at your heart strings too, I cried, I laughed, you name it.......the fighting is a lot of fun in it too, it draws you in & keeps you riveted till the end......I think this is the best anime by CLAMP, with XXXholic following close behind, if you are a fan of one then the recurring characters you recognize are fun to see in another anime. If you are an anime fan you should check this out, or if you are not, then why not start with this series. Enjoy!

Though this is a great series, there are enough gaps in the plot to prevent me from awarding a five star rating. The animation quality is above average and the Japanese voice acting is very well done. It is an addictive series as well. This series did exceed my expectations and I feel more people who like anime should watch it. But it is not for kids and it is not for novices into anime watching. I recommend watching Cowboy Bebop to get you into anime, then go for the more serious and violent series. (Last Exile, Full Metal Alchemist, and Ghost in the Shell being my favs)

Wait. hold on. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. If you're first thought after looking at the cover was that this is a yaoi anime then you're incorrect. Fortunately, it's not. Now to what this anime is all about.

Story:
It's about the Dragons of Heaven-the seven seals and the Dragons of Earth-the seven angels. The Dragons of Heaven want to protect earth and preserve the way it is now. The Dragons of Earth want to change the world which has been abused by humans and start over again. Each side has seven characters who come from different parts of Japan and gather in Tokyo for the final battle that will decide the fate of earth. Kamui, (the main character) doesn't choose a side right from the start. (I won't tell you which side he does choose)
If you're wondering if there's history to each character you won't be disappointed. There's history for all the characters. some have more than others. As for the swords, they are called Shinken. they are divine swords that can only be wielded by Kamui.

Video and audio quality;
The quality of the animation and visuals is good and so are the special effects. There's even one part where Kamui's eyes turn visibly brighter when he attacks his enemies. As for the audio both the Japanese and English are in 5.1. Both have good voice acting. The music is good but the one downside to it is that it plays a lot throughout the entire series.

Other thoughts:
The word Kamui has two meanings (this is explained in the anime) The first meaning: A person who acts with God's power. The second meaning: he who hunts the authority of God. In other words Kamui has a choice to become either a Dragon of heaven or a Dragon of Earth.
If you're not really into the whole story line and history then just watch the movie. It's a lot more violent and is under an hour and 40 minutes. The movie and the series have a different end though.

The reason I give this series 4 stars is because it reiterates the same things quite often.

The series is both exciting and it's storyline and action but also tragic and provoking as well. The series shows us that the fate of the world and humanity is about to be decided on two factions with members who wield incredible powers and abilities, one faction believes that humanity is a lost cause and must be eliminated to save the world the other faction believes that humanity can learn from its mistakes and doesn't need to be destroyed to save the earth. The ultimate fate on this point will fall on one man and the choice he makes on whether to save or destroy humanity and the consequences of those choices as well, the series characters are all endearing and tragic as you actually can see both sides and their reasons for their choices in this conflict and you actually feel you can empathize with both groups and during their battles you will feel sadness on the fates of both faction members. The series is part of the Clamp Manga universe but is probably one of their more darker series released, the animation and soundtrack are great and fit the series well and the voice cast for the subbed and dubbed actors/actresses did a great job in their character roles. The series is somewhat bloody and violent pretty much so pretty much not for younger kids, the set itself is different from the previous released version that was out a few years ago in that the series is onto four dvds instead of the eight but the video quality is very good so no worries on that part. The extras as always are pretty much the trailers and intro/ending songs so nothing to really shout about, so if you're looking for a dark action anime or just looking for a great series here's one tho check out for your anime library....

This is an anime series from the accomplished & successful Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who is known for such animes as Wicked City, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter-D, the Animatrix - i.e. some of the most well known & successful anime titles in the west.

The main characters have powers with different elements, as well as being able to leap and run from buildings tops to buildings tops. The action scenes are consistently great & epic in this way. The story also involves dreamseers, spells and other dimensions as part of the super-natural clash for the future of planet Earth.

While basic story is pretty straightforward it does have some interesting naunce also, as well as being a more character focused story, with a wide range of characters all with decently developed stories as part of the plot - in contrast to the Directors more well known purely action works - and has alot more depth in how things come together in keeping track of the whole story.

It is maybe abit more melodramatic & tragic in tone than it needs to be at times to tell the story, yet despite this, there are quite a few moments especially toward the end where the story matches it's melodrama in a very bittersweet & uplifting way! The action scenes and other supernatural things are always involving in each episode along with the extra depth provided in the story constantly rewarding as well. The Japanese voice acting is very good as often the case in animes, and the subtitles are fine.

As a fan of the Matrix, i notice quite a few similarities and ideas including visuals, so if you like that kind of anime feel to esthetic, it should be a rewarding & interesting watch overall.

X is rated 16 up & is abit more extreme than a kids cartoon. It is a Unique type of Anime in often being quite Kid type then very Adult in the same episode making X an artistically difficult Anime to easily categorise with all it's different character stories and moments - but overall, X is a well deserved if not widely known anime classic made by a Master of the form i think.

I love this anime series, for the simple fact that it requires your attention. It's not popcorn anime, you can't just half pay attention to it and enjoy it. There's a lot going on with over a dozen primary characters. The only exposition is sprinkled throughout, usually only given precisely when you need it, and sometimes not given at all. There's a lot to be inferred here. Like other series based on Clamp manga, it is geared more towards teen girls than boys, though due to that the story and relationships take precedence over action. Not to say that there isn't alot of action, the time they spend on the depth of the relationships serves to make sure they're not just having super-powered battles in Tokyo for the hell of it.

Set at the end of the last millennium (As I said earlier, dated) this series deals with the prophecy of the apocalypse, a battle between two groups: The Dragons of Heaven who fight to protect the human race, and the Dragons of Earth who seek to destroy humanity, in order to keep them from destroying the world itself. Much of the plot focuses on a pivotal decision by the one prophesied to be the most powerful of them all, Kamui, and the effect he has on his friends and loved ones.

Though the full television series has around 15 early episodes that aren't included on this DVD set, entitled X: An Omen, they're just a primer told by one of the characters in the series. They are not needed, but enthusiasts may want to look for an older set that includes them.

I loved Tokyo Babylon, like the movie X, but this anime is by far the best of the whole series. It had everything a fan needed to enjoy and cry over this anime. The stroy-line is complex but well-planned, character are beauitful and vioce actors are great. Th artwork is heavenly beautiful. I do have to warn you that no matter who you are this anime will make you cry.... it has drama like rain has water. Do highly recommend this anime^^

I really do like this show. However it took me a loong time to get into it. I didn't get hooked until episode 7. But when I did, I couldn't tear myself away from it. So just be patient with it.

The dub is pretty good. I personally didn't like Hokuto's voice, being a huge fan of Tokyo Babylon therefore very picky, but Kamui and Subaru's voice, and almost everyone else's were done well. Some of the dialouge is kind of goofy in the wrong spots, but it got a laugh outta me, so it's all good.

As for Tokyo Babylon fans, if you haven't finished the series or you're interested in reading it, I suggest you read that before you watch this show. X takes place 6 years after Tokyo Babylon, and it's the prelogue to X. If you don't finish Tokyo Babylon first, the ending will be spoiled for you in episode 9, Subaru's entrance.

One last thing is that this show is a tragedy. It deals with the end of the world, and over half the cast does not have good endings. But it really is a great show.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the art work of the box cover. Just looking at it made me crave to buy it. Heres my take on it, the very VERY brief fight scenes were decent nothing special, the art work was decent very typical anime art work. Overall I honestly hated this series and wish I didnt buy it. WHen I watch anime , I want great fight scenes, kick ass music, a good follow aloung plot and I didnt get any of that frim this..